QS PRN

What is the best highlighter? Liquid, gel, pencil? What brand would you purchase again, or what is your "go-to" brand? 

As a doctoral candidate, I've spent a lot of time with "required readings" these past months. And, I have many more months ahead. About 36 months, to be precise. I knew that I would be spending a lot of quality time with analog texts, but I didn't anticipate how much I would be highlighting. 

And, most highlighters are garbage. I know that a quality highlighter exists, but I have yet to use one that made me happy. Maybe that is where I went wrong: buying whatever was on sale at Staples or Target. Some dry out too quickly. Some smear too easily. Some do not transfer properly. Some bleed through the pages. #frustrated

So, I did a little digging on the interwebs, and found a wide variety of opinions. JetPens has an entire blog post about highlighters, and I appreciate the thoroughness of the post. I don't mind paying for quality because quality pays for itself. The problem is finding the quality. I asked twitter and Instagram earlier today, and I'm curious to read the responses...but I may just have to spend the money and write my own review.

This week threw me a bit. It started Monday when I realized that I had forgotten to post at least two responses on the BlackBoard discussion for one of my classes. Thankfully, the professor allowed me to make up the work the following day. And, I only lost one point out of 20. 

But, that one misstep derailed me. I was on a roll prior to that. In the previous three weeks of the classes, I was working ahead. Somehow, I completely missed that assignment. I'm not sure how or why I forgot about them, but it bothered me all week...I beat myself up and engaged in a lot of negative self-talk.  

After a few days of questioning my worth, I have finally decided that it was a simple mistake. Maybe I got wrapped up in the weekend, and enjoyed spending time with my family. Maybe I was preoccupied with the 4-6 page paper I had due Saturday night for the other class. Whatever the reason, I have decided that I can only do my best. And, I cannot ruin it for myself simply because I missed (and made up!) one simple assignment.  

Lately, I have been thinking a lot about words that start with work...

• workshop
• workspace
• workflow
• workload
• workforce 
• workshitssheets 

What is work, and what does it have to do with schools and learning? 

Some would argue that the education system is not doing enough to support the workforce. It is not a Millennial issue, or a standards issue. It is about emotions, and it is about relationships. It is about responsibility. 

Developing A Sense Of Responsibility: Why Emotional Insight Is Critical For The Future Of Work

And, it is now a presidential debate issue, with 18 of 23 presidential candidates supporting some type of tuition relief or assistance. 

"However, a 2013 McKinsey & Company study of youth, education providers, and employers in nine countries showed that while 72 percent of higher education institutions believe they prepare their students well for the workforce, half of students are not sure if their credentials improve their opportunities at finding a job. This disconnect can also be seen in the private sector where only 11 percent of business leaders ‘strongly agree’ that students have the vital skills for the labour market, compared to 96 percent of chief academic officers who believed their institutions were either somewhat or very effective at providing the necessary skills to students. While a post-secondary degree is still proven to be a career asset, the current level of disconnect between what employers want versus what is being taught must be addressed."

—McKinsey & Company, "The Voice of the Graduate"

✱ hat tip to David Culberhouse for sharing these ideas